 |
|
|
|||||
The US Central Intelligence Agency is ending one of its popular services, The World Factbook. Over the decades, this reference has provided readers with information about different countries and communities around the world. The post from the CIA announcing the news didn't provide any information about why it will stop offering The World Factbook. The agency was subject to the same buyouts and job cuts that decimated much of the federal workforce in 2025, so maybe this type of public-facing tool is no longer a priority. This reference guide was first published in 1962 as The National Basic Intelligence Factbook. That original tome was classified, but as other government departments began using it, an unclassified version for the public was released in 1971. It became a digital resource on the CIA website in 1997. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-cia-stops-publishing-the-world-factbook-184419024.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
Nintendo capped off todays partner-focused Nintendo Direct with a flurry of Bethesda-related announcements, but arguably the most interesting game of the showcase appeared right at the start. First announced at the beginning of the year, Orbitals is a two-player puzzle adventure game in which you and your co-op partner play as the intergalactic explorers Maki and Omura, on a mission to save their home in the stars from an incoming cosmic storm. Gameplay-wise, Orbitals looks like its at least partly inspired by the likes of It Takes Two and Split Fiction, but really what really stands out here is the 90s anime-inspired visuals. The game is absolutely dripping in style, and somehow looks just as good in motion as it does in cutscenes. Describing it as a playable Saturday morning cartoon is getting into cliche territory, but Orbitals really nails its aesthetic. It will be a tall order for any game like this to clear the impossibly high bar for creative co-op gameplay that Josef Fares Hazelight Studios has set in recent years, but Orbitals looks like it could be worth experiencing for its visuals alone. Nintendo has managed to nab this one as a Switch 2 exclusive, which you can either play locally or online, and thanks to the console's GameShare feature, only one person needs to own the game for the latter. Orbitals arrives at some point during summer 2026.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-switch-2-exclusive-co-op-adventure-orbitals-launches-this-summer-180657892.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
JLab just released a gigantic pair of headphones that doubles as a Bluetooth speaker. The Blue XL headphones are ridiculously oversized, making them headphones in name only. I don't even think Andre the Giant could've comfortably worn these suckers. Unless you have a mythically large head, these are basically "headphone speakers." The idea is to drape them around your neck and stream tunes for all to hear. Though you could also pop them on a table or something. I prefer my Bluetooth speakers to be speaker-shaped, but maybe that's just me. JLab As for the internals, they feature 30W of power and two 2.5-inch drivers, along with two 2.5-inch radiators. This is obviously more power than what's demanded by headphones because, again, these are actually speakers. JLab says they'll get around 20 hours of use per charge, which is a decent metric. There's another use case here. They could make a mighty fine accessory in a "person wearing comically oversized headphones" Halloween costume. The price is actually right for a gag gift. The Blue XL headphones cost $99. These were first announced at a recent college football game, but everyone assumed it was a joke because they were gold and the company said they cost $120,000. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/jlabs-comically-oversized-headphones-are-not-an-april-fools-prank-174338833.html?src=rss
Category:
Marketing and Advertising
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||